Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1885 — INDIANA LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

Senator Magee’s bill, appropriating $225,000 for this year and $335,000 for next year, foi the completion of the new hospital for the insane, .was passed by the Senate on the 28th nit. Lieut. Gov. Manson appointed Senators McCullongh, Hilligass, Smith (of Jennings). Foulke, and Lindley as a committee on investigating the treasury. A bill was introduced to restrain the manufacture of dynamite, and the bill to legalize all sales of real estate made by Commissioners was passed. The committee specially appointed tp inquire into the state of affairs consequent upon the fire at the insane asylum reported that the officers were free from blame for negligence. The laundry and baking-rooms are a total loss; the chapel part ally so. The boilers can be repaired. The water supply is totally inefficient. Three thousand dollars were voted for the immediate payment of workmen at the asylum. Senator Campbell, of St. Joseph, called up senate bill No. 22, which allows two or more counties to - join in the construction of orphans asylums. He pointea out the humane necessity of removing * poor orphans from the degrading' associations of the County Work House, and hoped tne bill would be put on its passage at once. A long discussion followed, nearly all Senators favoring such a bill, but suggesting an indefinite number of methods of attaining the end. In the House, Mr. Taylor offered a resolution requesting the Auditor of State to furnish the following information relative to swamp lands: 1. Whether the Treasurers and Auaitors of State have complied with the law of 1857, and what amount of lands has been sold in each county. 2. What amount of money has been placed to the credit of each county, and tin amount charged for ditching and draining. 3. Whether any of said fund is diverted to other use or purpose, or if any of it has been transferred to other funds. The resolution provides for the employment of a clerk to assist the Auditor In collecting such information. There was no opposition to its passage. The special order was the consideration of Mr. Moody’s resolution calling for the appointment of a committee to investigat * the charges made in the communication of John M. Goar, trustee of the Soldiers and Sailors’ Orphans’ Home and Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children at Knightstown. After a long debate the resolution was adopted. The bill of Representative Barr, to prohibit the sale of dangerous toys, was engrossed. In the absence of the minister invited to open the Senate with prayer, on the 29th ult., Gen. Manson stud that if the Senate would rise to its feet he would open the session by repeating the One Hundred and Thirty-third Psalm, which the bluff old veteran did from memory with evident feeling and great effect. The following bills were introduced: By Senator Magee, authorizing the Governor and Auditor of State to refund the State debt at a lower fat 3 of interest and to negotiate a further loan of SOOO,OOO for the erection of the new hospital for the insane; by Senator Brown, for apportioning the State into Congressional districts. The bill confirms the existing bou daries of such districts without any change whatever; by Senator Mclntosh, to limit the rate of interest on county bonds to 6 instead of 10 per cent, and requiring them to be Sold at par. By a vote of 31 to JO the bill to authorize a yearly tax on street-cars by cities was indefinitely postponed. This is one of a similar class of bills all prepared by a State convention of Mayors of cities, and the discussion Indicated that all of them would meet the same fate. The Committee on Cities reported that Barley’s liquor bill be made applicable only so cities with a voting population of 5,000, which will include Indianapolis. Evansville, Fort Wayne, and Terre Haute. lii thesz cities and nowhere else saloons may open at any hour except between 12 o’clock midnight and 4 a. m. week days. They are to close entirely on Sunday and election days. In the House Mr. Eley’s bill to prohibit baseball playing on Sunday and prescribing a penalty of a fine not exceeding $25 for each violation was passed without discussion. The bill to appropriate $40,000 to the Purdue University, one-half to cover last year’s deficiency and the remainder to meet the current expenses of the year, was passed. Seventeen Representatives voted against the appropriation. The hotelkeepers’ bill, which virtually proposed to reestablish imprisonment for debt, was defeated. The following bills were read a second time In the Senate on the 30th ult.: To provide for the continuance of courts when a trial Is in progress. It was ordered that printing of the bill be dispensed with and it be ordered engrossed. Amending the dog law. Referred to the Committee on Agriculture. To regulate the reports of township trustees in settling with county commissioners. Amended and ordered engrossed. Senator Foulke offered a petition on military affairs. Petitions on alcoholism, medical education, and huckstering were presented from nearly every county in the State. Senator Smith, of Jennings, presented a petition against compulsory vaccination and in favor of forcing any patient suffering from small pox to isolate himself; against Sunday laws and recognition Of God in the constitution; against all laws excluding stock from pasturage on high roads. Senator Willard made a report of the Finance Committee on bill lofi—the bill for refunding the State debt—with amendments, and recommendation that it pass. Senator Foulke, Republican member of the committee investigating the State Treasury, asked leave to withdraw from the committee, on the ground that a majority oi the committee were averse to an investigation. The point of order was made that he had no right to reflect on his brother members pending an investigation and when no report had been made. The Bsnate refused unanimous consent, and the matter was dropped. In the House, the bill to repeal the act authorizing aliens to hold title to real estate came up for third reading and passage. The discussion on the proposition to postpone for one week led to a long and acrimonious debate, but it was finally carried. The motion to reconsider the bill prohibiting Sunday base-ball playing was lost. The bill to amend til# act prescribing the powers and duties of coroners was pa-sed. The bill provides that all persons desiring to be hoard in inquests shall be examined: that constables shall give subpoenas, arid that where post mortem examinations are necessary the County Commissioners shall direct the pauper physicians to perform such duty. The hill appropriating s<>,Boo to the Reform School at Plainfield was passed. ThERE was nothing done in the Legislature but to introduce new bills on the 31st nit. There was not a quorum In either branch, and it was not desirable to raise any question that might necessitate a vote. Senator Cam; bell of Hendricks introduced a joint resolution to abolish the contract system in State prisons; Senator Bailey a bill to prevent forfeiture of insurance policies after full payment of premiums and charges for one year; Senator Zimmerman a bill to fix the number of Senators and Representatives of the State, and to apportion the State for such purposes. This bill gives to Fulton a Representative instead of a joint Representative, and changes tho political relationship of St. Joe snd St rke and Starke and Pulaski, and Fulton and Pulaski. Otherwise it leaves matters In "statu quo." Senator Willard introduced measures to tax railroads not less than $12,000 per mile on their rights of way and that all sleeping-car companies shall report yearly to the Auditor of toe State the amount of its earnings and value of its stock. In the House the same routine w.s observed, together with the reception of reports irom committees: In these many bills were indSiniteiy postponed. Among the bills introduced were these: By Mr. Bob nson, to prevent the payment of wages by corporations or fir.i s in orders or scrip and the selling of goods to dm ployes t excessive prices, isy Mr. McMullen, to require foreign insurance companies to publish their semi-annual statement in the leading newspaper of each county. By Mr. Hanlon, to provide that the saloons shall close between 12 o'clock midnight and 5 a. m., and Sunday and ail legal holidays. Two mi.itia bills were introduced, one by Mr. Helms, being the one defeated ill the House Jan. 2.) with the appropr ation feature struck out. and one by Mr. Moodv with the appropriation reduced from svs,o»s') to $ ',OOO. A bill was introduced by Mr. Pal to give the Green backers a representation on the Metropolitan Police Hoard of Indianapolis. . __ “Only a womans lock of hair” was thought to be a touching inscription. If so, what pathos may there not be in the eighty tons annually taken to Marseilles, France! Conld we trace the history of only a few locks in that mass we might come trpon tragedies great or small.— New York Herald. The cost of transporting a barrel ot flour from Minneapolis to Boston is sl. The freight on a sack of floor holding a barrel, from Minneapolis to Glasgow, Scotland,, is $1.20. __ f ±-. The administration of government, like a guardianship, ought to be directed to the good of those who confer, and not to those who receive the trnst. — Cicero. Of the 32,000 Indians in Dakota 30,000 are said to speak the English language. '